Advance man, press agent, and publicist extraordinaire, John M. Burke (1842â1917) was instrumental in turning William F. Cody into the iconic persona of Buffalo Bill. And with this biography, published in 1893, Burke put the finishing touches on the legend that persists to this day. This new, definitive edition includes the full text and all the photographs and line drawings of Burkeâs original, while providing critical background details on the literary sources, historical characters, and events that figure in the work.
With âa few plain truths, unadorned,â Burke purported to give a frank account of Buffalo Billâs life. Hostile Indians, gunfights, cattle stampedes: Codyâs Wild West was fraught with peril at every turn. This âChevalier Bayard of American Bordermenâ exemplified courage and daring while often narrowly escaping certain death and he earned the respect and admiration of not only his fellow frontiersmen but also European royalty. Burke recounts Codyâs duel with Chief Yellow Hand; his role as army scout, buffalo hunter, Pony Express rider, and international celebrity; and his associations with well-known figures like Kit Carson, Sitting Bull, General Phil Sheridan, and Queen Victoria. A brilliant instance of mythmaking by a true believer, Burkeâs portrait of Buffalo Bill Cody as frontiersman and hero is a tribute to the romance of the Wild West and a canonical volume in the American story.